NYCSLS Library Advisory Council
Council Meeting # 3
Date: February 12, 2008
Time: 12:00 – 3:00pm
Place: NYPL, Jefferson Market
Members in attendance: Betty Zapolsky, Laurel Hicklin, Louise Lareau, Christine Hatami, Beth St. John
Office staff in attendance: Barbara Stripling, Melissa Jacobs-Israel, Elizabeth Naylor-Gutierrez, Esther McRae, Lynne Kresta Smith, Judith Schaffner
Guests (Support Organizations): Joseph A. Porzio - Fordham University PSO, Margaret Tice – NYPL, Aurelia Enache – AED, Sondra Payne – NYPL, Medea McEvoy – LLSO
Documents at meeting:
Improving Literacy through Libraries Grant Application

Action items/Tasks assigned:
All: Make nominations for September 2008 Council Vice-Chair vacancy.
Kathy Steves the current Vice-Chair moves up to fill the Chair vacancy. This leaves a vacancy for Vice-Chair. See Article 4 of Bylaws regarding Nominations and Elections. Nominations may be made by contacting Viviane Lampach the current Chair at lampach@bxscience.edu. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor of the next meeting on May 13, 2008.
Agenda:
12-12:30 Meet, Eat, Greet
12:30-12:45 New and Notes, Announcements
12:45-1:00 Middle School Grant and CCD report – Judith Schaffner
1:00-1:15 PD Report – Elizabeth Naylor-Gutierrez
1:15-2:15 Literacy through Libraries Grant- Barbara Stripling
2:15-3:00 Library Issues and Concerns
Minutes:
Meeting conducted by Christine Hatami as both Chair and Vice-Chair are absent
Council term is ending for Viviane Lampach – Chair,
Council term is ending for Members - Louise Lareau and Christine Hatami –
Make nominations for September 2008 Council Vice-Chair vacancy.
Kathy Steves the current Vice-Chair moves up to fill the Chair vacancy. This leaves a vacancy for Vice-Chair. See Article 4 of Bylaws regarding Nominations and Elections. Nominations may be made by contacting Viviane Lampach the current Chair at lampach@bxscience.edu. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor of the next meeting on May 13, 2008.

Barbara Stripling Reports
Spring conferences planned for May-June. Themes are reading graphic novels and Summer Reading. Also to be presented is the interface between classroom libraries and school library “How can Librarian support reading?”

Trying to find appropriate venue for Fall conference. Queens College space is too crowded, it is expensive elsewhere. Possibly will be one day conference only. Brian Selznick, possible speaker, will speak on the theme of Visual Literacy. Sondra and Margaret agreed that this year is a good time to promote graphic novels and visual literacy.

Bookfest November 1, 2008 partner with School Library Journal

Visited Library of Congress to plan for Summer Inquiry Institute on using primary resources. NYC has been chosen by LC to pilot this exciting project, helping LC to work with school districts. Barbara will call on Carrie Brickener – NYPL and NY Historical Society to access local primary sources. Summer Inquiry Institute will be offered to librarians and teachers 4 days in August.
March 22, Books for the Teenage, Robert Lipsyte speaker
Judith Schaffner Report:
In response to Middle School Task Force, SLS developed the Middle School grant in effort to address critical needs of middle school children. SLS developed a list of middle school fiction on social and emotional issues – eleven themes, ex. health, bullying
Grant application was available online at SLS website. Each school to receive ten copies of three selected titles plus one copy of each of 56 titles for the school library. Professional Development in running book clubs is offered to each Librarian awarded the grant.
Total of 113 schools funded with the grant, 129 Librarians and collaborative team members trained in Book Clubs.
See: tween2teen.wikispaces.com
Melissa commented that the PD book groups were very well received with all participants requesting “more”.
Judith Schaffner Report:
CCD fulfills the resource sharing goal. Pathfinders are available on the wiki. Currently 62 collections. Five new collections were funded this school year. The new collections are Elementary Cooking, Teen Health and Fitness, Historical Fiction, International Human Rights, Design.
PD offered on creating Pathfinders and Using Books in Print for collection development.
Elizabeth Naylor-Gutierrez Report:
  • Newly Assigned Librarians Modules – Trained 100 Librarians
  • Conducted three sessions on Cyber Safety – Total, 42 Librarians
  • Library Automation Basics – Trained 63 Librarians
  • Destiny training – two day training session each month, 20-22 Librarians per session
Destiny User Groups beginning, 400 schools now on Destiny, First user group took place in Staten Island. It is hoped that user groups will extend the school’s use of various features beyond check in/check out. Salesman, Rich Ruggierio offering his time to help at user groups.
Last I-Quest PD in February with space for 60 Librarians.

Campus Librarians Network (34 buildings) meeting are taking place each month.

Focus on “Action Research Plan” promoting the use of TRAILS test for information literacy assessment teaching and learning.
Also promoting EBSCO’s career diagnostic assessment tool COIN at $900/per school. (Other schools must purchase program themselves). COIN allows students to set up individual accounts and profiles for career assessment to follow the student throughout middle school and high school. Campus Libraries are serving as a model for other cohors. Barbara is working with budget office on how to develop a purchasing plan for campus libraries. The professional bar is being raised and Librarians must show how we have an impact on student success.
Melissa added that Webinars are a good forum for PD and they are archived.
Christine requested a TRAILS PD
In regard to accountability, Betty suggested that rather than testing the entire school, identify a smaller cohort within the school to establish the importance of Library presence in the building and generate statistics to support the effectiveness of Library.
Literacy through Libraries Grant- Barbara Stripling
Barbara requested help in formulating a winning grant application for “Improving Literacy through School Librarians Grant” “Discovery 21” $500,000 district grant due March 8th. The SLS application is focusing on 51 identified middle schools and their feeder elementary schools. It is a complicated process to choose the cohort for the grant.
Medea suggested that schools need resources to get student achievement and SLS might want to focus on science and social studies; present the grant application as a continuum rather than just a grade.

Joseph suggested Civics Focus as in a previous model he created titled “Pride in Schools”
Barbara is considering hiring a professional consultant to administer the grant.
Next meeting: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 – location to be announced
Meeting adjourned: 3:00pm
Minutes submitted by: Betty Zapolsky 4/8/07